


Rhythmic Love

by ParadigmShiftress



Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Blackmail, Depression, Drama, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, M/M, Major Character Injury, Men's Artistic Gymnastics, Misunderstandings, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Persistent Sexual Arousal Disorder, Rhythmic Gymnastic Boys, Romance, Secret Crush, Shounen-ai, Slow Burn, This fic was inspired by Yuri on Ice, anime boys - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2019-11-18 00:33:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18109694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ParadigmShiftress/pseuds/ParadigmShiftress
Summary: I think I have feelings for my best friend. What now?For Kei, that question weighed heavy on his mind as he scanned website after website trying to figure out what to do about it.  The knot in his stomach tightened when he read the sentence: "Realize that this will change your friendship forever." He wasn't ready for this.





	1. Love Spell

 

Kei Ikeda

Akio Miura

 

Yuuta Kichida

 

Jiki Kaneko

 

Daichi Fukui

 

Hideo Higa

 

* * *

 

 

_ I think I have feelings for my best friend. What now? _

For Kei, that question weighed heavy on his mind as he scanned website after website trying to figure out what to do about it. The knot in his stomach tightened when he read the sentence: _ "Realize that this will change your friendship forever." _ He wasn't ready for this.  He sighed, exiting out of the page and shutting his laptop before slumping into his chair. 

Even at eighteen, Kei had never spent this much time ruminating on a love interest. He had always been too preoccupied with keeping his grades high, or with rhythmic gymnastics to care about love.

"Hormones," he justified, staring at the ceiling in contemplation. "But... should I tell him?"  Kei didn't have much time to ponder that thought because the sound of the dorm room opening had him jolting up in his seat like a terrified kitten. Of course it was best friend and roommate, Akio.

"Did I scare you? I assumed you'd be sleeping by now," Akio mused, greeting his friend with a sweet smile that instantly renewed Kei's nerves.

"Um I couldn't sleep," he replied, trying to hide his nerves.

"Then why didn't I see you on the spring floor?" Akio scolded in a manner of playfulness.  "I was practicing dance sequences with Yuuta."

"Didn't think I needed to."

"Ooo, Mr. Confident~," Akio sang before walking over to his bed while stripping off his gym shirt and shorts. "I'm gonna go hop in the shower." With that, he wrapped a towel around his slender waist, grabbed his toiletries and hit the showers.

As soon as Akio left the room, Kei could feel himself relax. "Fuck," he muttered with a disbelieving smile. This was crazy.  _ Am I gay?  _ The thought had never crossed his mind before, but the feelings that he had begun to develop for Akio said otherwise. But maybe he was straight and Akio was an exception. After all, he did look fairly girlish with his long hair and feminine dancer type physique. Kei sighed again when he considered the fact that this wasn't just physical. As much as he was captivated by Akio's androgenous physical features, he found himself falling for the little things. Like how adorable and grumpy he was in the morning, his obsession with classical music, and the cute heart shaped smile he'd sport whenever he was excited. But most of all he fell in love with the way Akio looked when he performed. His features lit up on the gymnasium floor, dancing and tumbling with unmatched beauty.  

When Akio returned, he frowned seeing that Kei was sitting in the same spot he'd left him. He quirked an eyebrow and asked, "Have you been sitting there doing nothing this entire time?"

Kei considered his words. "I was lost in thought, I guess."

"You're not worried about tomorrow are you? I know it's our first year in university level team gymnastics but as long as we do as well as we do in practice we'll be fine. Besides, you looked amazing today. Your triple back has really improved."

"Spoken like a true team captain."

Akio smiled as a response and then spun around to go through his wardrobe. After he found his night clothes, he pushed his towel down his hips, letting it fall to the ground. Kei instantly felt butterflies in his belly. He bit his lip as he felt his nether regions started to react, but instead of gawking at Akio's nude body like a pervert, his eyes fixated on the towel until Akio was fully dressed.

"Coming to bed?" Akio inquired, putting the discarded towel into the hamper and then pulling his half dried hair into a messy bun at the top of his head.

_ I'd love to come to bed with you,  _ Kei thought to himself, holding back a grin. "Yeah, It's about that time, isn't it."He got up from where he was seated, cut out the lights, turned on their silly little star projector and quickly made his way up to the top bunk of their shared bunk bed. "Night Akio."

"Night Kei. You're going to be perfect tomorrow."

"Of course."

"You cocky bastard. You're supposed to give me a humble response," Akio teased.  "Being cocky will give us bad juju for the competition tomorrow." 

Kei sighed affectionately. "You're the one who said I'd be perfect. I simply confirmed it for you.  And who says bad juju?" He smiled fondly, imagining the twisted face Akio probably had on his beautiful features.

"I do! Obviously," Akio retorted, sporting the cute pout that Kei was imagining. "Anyways, goodnight."

"Night," Kei said quietly.

At least forty minutes had gone by with Kei staring blankly at the star projections on the ceiling. Kei let out a huff of frustration. What the hell was he going to do about these intrusive thoughts?

"You're still awake," Akio said from the bottom bunk. "What are you huffing about?"

Kei bit his bottom lip. He figured he'd brave the waters a little bit to see what kind of response he'd get. "Akio, I'm bisexual... I think." Things went quiet. Too quiet. So in an attempt to kill the awkward silence Kei added, "Sorry, maybe I shouldn't have--" 

"No no, I just want to say the right thing. Does your dad know?"

"No, I haven't told anyone but you," Kei confided, taking in a shaky breath. Next thing he knew Akio was climbing into his bed, poking him lightly in the side to get him to make space.

Akio stretched out beside him. "Turn to your side, I wanna spoon you." 

Kei let out a nervous laugh in response but did as he was told. He felt Akio's warmth along his body and his arms wrap around his waist in a tight embrace. 

"I know how you feel about talking about feelings," Akio whispered into Kei's ear. "But if there's anything at all you want to say about it, I'm listening." 

Statements like that were what kept Kei under Akio's spell. He loved to tease, and often he'd shower him in sweet platonic affection and attentiveness and it was so frustrating for Kei, yet intoxicating all at the same time.

"Ahh... um," Kei quivered. "Th-thanks."

"This might not be the advice you want... but I think you should explore it. Stop being so prudish and let your sexuality flourish. I mean, unless you  _ want _ to stay a virgin forever."

Kei nearly choked on air. "I-I'm not a fucking prude Akio..." 

"Oh please," Akio chuckled. "I've never seen you once accept an offer thrown at you by women."

"I'm not looking for meaningless flings..."

"Mm, I get that. All I'm suggesting is that you be more open. I wasn't sure that I was gay until I made love to a guy. Everything just clicked for me in that moment, and I knew."

"Thanks for the advice, Akio."

"Anytime, best friend," Akio smiled, gently smoothing back Kei's silky black hair. "Thanks for telling me."

After that was said, it didn't take long before Akio successfully fell asleep with his body comfortably pressed up against his roommate's back.

Kei, on the other hand, had too many thoughts running through his mind to let sleep have it's way with him. The most prominent thought was Akio's positive response. It made him feel hopeful that a confession would give him peace. His mind was set. Tomorrow he'd tell Akio how he really felt.


	2. Velvet

When Kei awoke the next morning, Akio wasn’t there. He assumed the energetic blond was already busy micromanaging his other teammates before the bus ride to Tokai University. His lips curved into a smile when he noticed the sound of classical music playing softly in the room. He recognized the song instantly. Serenade by Schubert, a piece that Akio often listened to when he was lounging in their room. Kei shut his eyes and let himself enjoy the sound of the orchestra. He could never call himself a classical music enthusiast, but the idea that Akio had turned it on for him to wake up to made him appreciate every last note and beautiful swell.  


The music continued to play as Kei climbed out of bed and headed to his closet to grab his clothing. He had always been subtle with his style, never wanting to stand out in a crowd. So it was no surprise that he opted for a simple black shirt, dark washed jeans and an understated olive hoody to complete the look. Contented with his appearance, he grabbed his eye contacts, toothbrush and face wash with the intention of cleaning up a bit before he joined his team in the cafeteria. He stopped at the door when he laid his pretty green eyes on a garment bag hanging on the door handle. There was a sticky note on the bag with his name on it, written in Akio’s elegant handwriting. “First costume of the year,” Kei mused fondly as he opened the garment bag to see what his gymnastics leotard looked like.  


Stunning. Maybe Kei was biased because he knew Akio was the designer, but somehow it seemed like the blond outdid himself with every costume design. The base of the full body velvet leotard was black with beautiful red, white and teal Swarovski crystals, sparkling in an unique pattern that began at the neckline and cascaded down the costume all the way down to the ankle. Kei admired all of the intricate details on the garment for a few moments until he figured he should probably get going. After all, he’d be wearing it at Tokai university soon enough and could appreciate it then.  


After washing his face and brushing his teeth, Kei found himself putting in his brown eye contacts with a steady hand. He hated his natural eye color. It was the focal point of many awkward conversations and a reminder of his mother who had passed away when he was young. For whatever reason, people seemed to treat him like some sort of exotic creature because of his rare eye color, so he chose to wear dark contacts to blend in with the rest of Japanese society. Akio on the other hand loved to stand out with his long bleached platinum blond hair and outspoken personality. The two had an unlikely friendship, but because they had practically been raised together and grown to appreciate their differences, they had a very close bond.  
Before leaving the change room, he carded a hand through his mid-length hair a few times just to make sure he looked presentable. With that, he left the room, quickly returned his toiletries to their rightful place, and headed to the cafeteria to meet his friends.  


The cafeteria was always a vibrant scene at all times, but especially during breakfast. Somehow it seemed like everyone was a morning person as soon as they entered the inviting area. Some students focused on homework completion while they ate in silence, and others would be competing to talk over each other, creating a unique environment. It was newly renovated the previous school year with a brand new stainless steel kitchen, new flooring, tables and seating. The large space was always immaculately clean too! Each and every metal oblong table neatly lined across the room, giving off a faint smell of lemon cleaner. Kei felt fortunate to be able to attend a university that prioritized cleanliness, and even more fortunate to be able to be there with his long time friends.  


Everyone was already deep in conversation over breakfast at their usual table by the window when Kei arrived.  


“M-morning Kei…” Yuuta greeted, adjusting his glasses, his voice sounding a little uneasy.  


Kei furrowed his brows. “What’s wrong?”  


“He’s nervous,” Jiki, another one of Kei’s teammates chimed in, smirking at the cowardly looking boy seated next to him.  


Kei took his spot next to Akio who acknowledged him with a smile and then returned back to his conversation with Hideo and Daichi, the two remaining teammates. As usual his breakfast was already waiting for him at the table. Akio always made sure that Kei was fed, another sweet gesture that he appreciated. Today the nutrient dense morning meal included a small steak, seasoned spinach, a small omelet, miso soup and a side of rice. Kei cracked open his chopsticks, placed some of the spinach on top of his rice and dug in.  


“Yuuta,” Kei said after swallowing his first mouthful. “There’s nothing to be nervous about. You’ve competed so many times and you’ve done great every time.”  


Yuuta smiled lightly at the encouraging words. “I know, I know… I’m just overthinking I guess.”  


“He should be nervous,” Jiki cut in. “I might drop the little piggy with extra weight he’s been carrying lately.”  


“I only gained three pounds!” Yuuta cried out, his face going red with embarrassment.  


Kei reached across the table to place his hand on Yuuta’s. “Ignore Jiki, he only says mean things to mess with you.”  


Yuuta swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded.  


“You’re not the one who has to lift that fat ass,” Jiki deadpanned. “So stop being an enabler, Kei.”  


“Um, I think I’m going to my room until we have to go…”  


“Don’t go,” Daichi reassured, grabbing Yuuta by the arm before he could stand up and make his escape. “You’re fine. Besides, your ass is cute and probably the best ass Jiki will ever touch.”  


The table erupted into light laughter at Jiki’s expense, and to everyone’s surprise he didn’t even bother with a crass retort like he usually would. Instead he stood up and announced that was going to hit the showers before they left. As Jiki walked off, Akio reminded him not to take too long as they only had an hour before the bus left the lot. Jiki brushed off the request with a quick hand gesture and grumbled that he’d meet them on the bus.  


“Anyone else need to do anything before we leave?” Akio inquired when Jiki was out of sight.  


“I just need to grab my bag and costume,” Hideo replied.  


“Same,” Kei and Daichi answered in unison.  


“Yuuta?”  


“Yeah… same I guess.”  


“Yuuta,” Akio said again in a more sympathetic tone. “Just stop stress eating like a camel and Jiki won’t be able to insult you. Also, you should start exercising more.”  


“You’re like a nagging mother, Akio,” Hideo observed, side eyeing the blond with a look of disapproval.  


“It’s my job to be honest as your team captain. Anyway, I’ll be the gymnasium with Hirato if anyone needs me~.”  


His statement made Kei think back to last night, and the promise he made to himself. That he would confess to his feelings at some point today. When would be best? He could follow him to the gymnasium now and maybe take him somewhere private to talk? No, he quickly decided. It would have to be at some point after the gymnastics competition had ended. Akio deserved to have a clear mind on such an important day. The more Kei planned about how he would go about it, the more he started to feel anxious.  


“Not going to eat, Kei?” Daichi asked, shaking Kei out of his thoughts. “Space Cadet.”  


Why were his friends always so perceptive? Daichi especially.  
“Oh um, yeah,” Kei stammered, offering a nervous smile. “I was just thinking about the competition.” He felt a little bad for lying, but he’d never hear the end of it had he been honest. In an attempt to avoid any more suspicion, he refocused on his food before anyone could ask more questions.  


“I see you’re wearing your contacts,” Hideo added to the conversation.  


Kei simply nodded, his eyes fixated on the food, hoping the two would let him eat in peace.  


Daichi and Hideo exchanged glances and then their eyes went back to Kei.  


“Remember that time we hid his contacts?” Daichi reminisced.  


“Yeah, he refused to go out with us.”  


Kei ignored their banter, finished his meal and got up. Over the years, Kei had learned to never let himself become a victim to the teasing the way Yuuta did. “I’ll see you guys on the bus,” Kei said curtly, “And Yuuta, try to keep your head up.”  
With only about thirty minutes left to spare before the trip, Kei decided he’d hit up the gymnasium to see what Akio and their team coach, Hirato were up to.  


It was a quick journey from the cafeteria to the gymnasium. The only thing that slowed down the process was the abundance of students that littered the halls, socializing with peers and preparing for their morning classes. Kei pushed open the uncomfortably large doors leading to the gym and was instantly greeted by Akio who looked to be on his way out.  


“Hey! Perfect timing,” Akio exclaimed, grabbing Kei’s hand, suddenly leading him away from the gym.”  


Kei looked at the hand and then back at it’s owner. “Where are we going?”  


“To our room,” Akio informed his best friend.  


“Why?” Kei said quickly.  


Akio abruptly stopped walking and turned around. “I want to talk to you? Is that okay?”  
“Um, sure.”  


For a split second Akio knitted his brows, sensing an awkward air about his best friend but didn’t question it further.  
The entire walk to the dorms was done in complete silence, and when they arrived at their room, Akio pulled Kei inside, locking the door behind them.  


“Sit,” Akio demanded, lightly pushing Kei towards his computer chair.  


Kei raised his hands in submission and did what he was told. “What’s this about?” Kei asked once he was seated.  


“Last night.”  


Kei instantly felt sick. “What about last night?”  


“I wanted to see where your head was at today. You did make a pretty big declaration after all. I feel like we barely scratched the surface.”  


“Um, this might not be the best time,” Kei laughed nervously. “The competitio—"  


“My best friend is finally discovering himself. I want to be there for you like you were for me. I’m not worried about the competition.” The blond closed the distance between them, sitting on Kei’s lap to give him a hug.  


“Why are you like this?” Kei said on impulse.  


Akio pulled back from the hug to ask, “What do you mean? Like what?”  


“Sorry,” Kei tried to correct. “I mean... can we wait until tonight to talk?”  


The blond frowned while considering what Kei asked, but after a few moments of thinking his features softened into a smile. “Sure, we can talk tonight… but can you do me a favor right now?”  


Kei blinked. “What?”  


“Take off your clothes,” Akio said as he removed himself from the chair, waiting for Kei to oblige.  


Did Akio want to get intimate? Here? Right now? As unbelievable as it sounded, Kei didn’t want ruin a chance to get closer to the person he had feelings for. He got up from the chair, fumbled with his zipper on his hoody, but eventually unzipped it. Once the hoody was removed and set aside, he quickly took off his pants and shirt. Kei hesitated when his hands reached for the waist band of his boxers. “Akio… I’m nervous.”  


Akio raised an eyebrow. “Nervous for what? To try on a costume?”  


“T-Try on a costume?”  


“Why else would I tell you to undress?” The blond turned around, grabbed the garment bag and handed it to Kei.”  


“…Ah,” Kei was an undeniable shade of red. As embarrassed as he was though, he was a little relieved. He wasn’t ready for intimacy and he knew it. He couldn’t stop his hand from shaking as he reached for the garment bag, and Kei’s nervousness didn’t slip past Akio.  


“Why are you shaking?” Akio asked, expressing concern on his face.  


Kei had to think quickly. “The—um, competition?”  


“Was that meant to be a statement? Or a question?” Akio shook his head. “Never mind, you’re being weird. Just put on the leotard. I want to see how it looks.”  


“Of course,” Kei replied, offering an awkward smile. He removed the pretty leotard from the bag, lining it up against his body. 

“You really did an amazing job with this design, Aki.”  


“Thanks,” Akio smiled. “I was inspired by a painting I saw that had a similar aesthetic.”  


“The fabric feels really nice too! I can’t remember the last time our costumes were velvet.”  


“I figured this was a special occasion. Our first university level competition. We ought to look our best.”  


Kei slipped into the leotard, carefully running his hands down the soft material and then looked up at Akio for his opinion.  


The blond clapped enthusiastically at the sight of his friend in the costume. In his excitement he flew into Kei’s arm’s from where he was standing, causing the pair the fall backwards into the chair. “Oh my god!” he squealed. “It looks incredible on you, Kei!”  


Kei laughed at Akio’s response, a little winded from the sudden tackle. “Relax, you’re being extra.”  


“Okay, okay, okay,” Akio repeated excitedly, getting off of Kei again to admire the leotard. “Stand up! Stand up!”  


The raven continued to laugh, making it slightly harder to do what his friend was asking. He got up from the chair and attempted to model, spinning around slowly to please Akio’s eyes. “Happy?”  


“Very happy~! It looks so pretty against your skin.”  


“Everyone will look great in it,” Kei mused. “As much as I’d love to stand around admiring your creation, I think we should head to the bus.”  


“You’re right,” Akio smiled. “Let’s go.”


	3. Now or never

On route to the host university, Kei found himself staring out the bus window, getting lost in the gorgeous fall scenery. As they drove through the residential areas, he admired all of the amber, yellow and orange foliage that blew around in the air until they eventually descended onto the streets and surrounding areas. Japan was always a sight to be seen around this time of year. Every tree was more beautiful than the next as they swayed perfectly in sync with each other in a dance that was orchestrated by the strong fall time wind.

“You look so focused,” said Yuuta, his voice small and soft.

Kei turned to the boy who was sitting beside him. “Do I? I’m just thinking about how I haven’t been out much to appreciate how pretty the maples are.”

“Yeah they’re nice,” Yuuta smiled. “My parents used to take my sister and I out red leaf hunting when we were kids.”

“Must’ve been fun.”

“It was. Have you ever done it?”

“Nope,” Kei answered. “You know my dad’s a doctor so he was busy a lot.”

“Right.”

“Anyway, are you good now?” Kei wondered, since Yuuta looked terrible during breakfast.

“I’ll be glad when it’s over…” Yuuta said while scratching his short black hair. “I’m always so stressed right before we compete. Maybe this just isn’t for me.”

“Don’t say that,” Kei asserted, lightly jabbing Yuuta’s side. “You’re still only a year into doing group gymnastics competitively. Too early to say it’s not for you. Just focus on your performance. Not the judges or the audience. And definitely don’t think about Akio ripping us apart when we watch the tapes.”

“Well I wasn’t thinking about that until you mentioned it.”

“My bad,” Kei chuckled.

The bus pulled into the university parking lot with great timing, ten minutes to spare before their scheduled arrival. Tokai university was very different in comparison to their home university. The school was a lot larger to hold more students and it looked a lot like an old castle. The architecture was old fashioned and every single stone brick was perfectly square, as if those who built it took great pride in their creation. As they got off the bus, it was like stepping into a whole other world. The parking lot was filled with buses from other universities all across Japan. Tall archways with intricate details, and hundred-year old trees were uniquely placed along the pathway to the entrance of the school. It was expected that this would be a busy day, but the amount of people that had shown up was surprising to the boys as they observed the unfamiliar surroundings.

“Alright, follow me,” Hirato told his team. “And stay close. As you can see, there are a ton of people here today. I’m not finding any of you if you get lost. We’re going to head to the change rooms, then stretch and practice for a while until it’s our turn to perform. ” Hirato made eye contact with each of the boys to make sure he was understood before they began to walk to the entrance.

Once they were inside, Kei could feel Akio’s arm loop around his own. He smiled at the blond who was busy admiring the school.

“The ceilings are so high,” Akio marveled with the enthusiasm of a child at an amusement park.

“Every ceiling must seem high to you, midget.”

“I’m five foot seven, Jiki. I’m sure every girl you sleep with must feel loose, small dick.”

“What girls?” Hideo added, smirking at Akio.

Akio returned the smile and said, “You’re right, I meant vacuum hose.”

“Enough. We’re in public now.”

“True,” Akio agreed, feigning regret. “Sorry, coach.”

The school’s halls seemed like an endless maze as the team continued on to the change rooms. They went down hall after hall, meeting the occasional statue of an important Japanese figure or display cases filled with student accomplishments. Luckily Hirato knew exactly where he was going and they eventually arrived, got changed and went to a quiet open area where they could stretch and prepare.

“How many teams before ours?” Jiki asked Hirato as the coach helped him stretch out his long muscular frame.

“We go on in about an hour and a half. After the female solo division finishes there are three male group gymnastics teams ahead of us.”

“I see,” The spiky haired boy replied. He looked over to his right and saw Daichi sitting alone, facing the wall with his eyes closed. “What are you doing?” Jiki had to ask.

“Meditating. Be quiet.”

Akio crawled next to Daichi asking if he could join him.

“No,” Daichi answered firmly.

Akio frowned and turned his direction to Kei, who was on his back, stretching his legs and hips. He made his way over to his best friend, placed a hand on his leg and gently pushed down to deepen the stretch.

“Thanks, that feels good.”

“Good. Sit up and I’ll make you feel even better.”

With a drawn out groan, Kei sat upright and watched Akio maneuver his way behind him.

“Is your dad coming?” Akio asked, rubbing circles into Kei’s shoulder blades.

Kei lowered his head and let his eyes flutter shut, letting the massage soothe him. “No, he’s working.”

“Ah, well my parents will definitely be supporting both of us.”

“What about Shion?”

Akio smiled. “My brother doesn’t need support. The team he coaches has the support of practically everyone here. This is their home university.” The blond traveled down Kei’s back, kneading his muscles in a gentle circular motion. “Does this feel good?”

“Amazing, as usual,” Kei quietly replied. He couldn’t get enough of feeling Akio’s hands on his body and hoped that once he confessed, those same hands would be willing and wanting to explore more than just his back. As the massage went on Kei thought about what it might be like to date Akio. He concluded that not much would even have to change. The dynamic that they already had was perfect and precious to Kei. Their friendship had been built on love, trust, loyalty, empathy, compassion, openness and respect. The only piece that was missing was sexual intimacy.

“I’m excited,” Akio said, leaning forward to wrap his arms around Kei’s shoulders. “I’m feeling really confident in our team.”

“Same. We worked hard.”

“Okay,” Hirato said loudly to get the attention of the six athletes. “Let’s go to the gymnast gym to make sure we’re in good condition.”  
This was the standard procedure. They’d run their routine a few before it was their time to perform. Just to make sure everyone was on and focused.

The gym was busy with few different groups of hopeful gymnasts preparing for their upcoming performances. Athletes practiced on and along two large spring floor mats, black with a bold red border to match the school’s colors.

“Alright boys,” Hirato clapped as the group entered the gymnastics gym. “let’s do some laps around the mat and then I want to see some beautiful tumbling lines.”

Daichi took off first, setting a comfortable pace for the rest of the team to follow. The group was silent as they focused on getting warm. All that could be heard from them was the occasional light panting and their feet kissing the floor almost in unison. The warm up lasted for five minutes, and by the time they were finished a few groups had left, freeing up the spring floor.

“Ikeda,” Hirato said, calling Kei to attention. “You’re up first.”

The raven nodded and walked onto the spring floor. He started with a few simple front handsprings that were followed by aerial flips, and then finished with a front tuck. One by one, the team freestyled beautifully executed lines until Hirato said that he had seen enough. Next, they ran through their performance to make sure everything looked clean.

“Yuuta, you’re stiff,” The young coach commented, walking onto the floor to give the boy a gentle shake. “Relax, okay?”

“Yes, coach,” he murmured, biting his lip.

“You guys look great otherwise. Balance is on point today and the dance breaks are in perfect unison. Let’s bring it in before we head to the stadium.”  
The group huddled together in a tight circle. Heads down and arms slung over each other’s shoulders.

“You’ve got this boy’s,” Hirato stressed. “You’ve done the work. Now or never.”

“Now or never,” the six teammates said in unison.


	4. Confession

Groups came and went, and it was finally time for the team to perform. Hirato whispered words of encouragement to each of them as they stood in a group beside the mat waiting to hear Takeyama University to be called. A female voice over the P.A system introduced them, and Akio lead them in a line, one after the other. When they were all lined up at the border of the spring floor mat, Akio raised a hand and yelled, “Ready!” to signify that the group was good to go.

“FIGHT!” and “GO FOR IT!” could be heard from members of the large audience. It was comforting to know that even as a rookie team, the boys had some support.

The team walked into the center of the mat, froze in their starting positions, and waited for the music to start. The song began, and it came in sounding fierce, full of energy and vibrant with powerful foreign vocals that sprung the boys back to life. They danced across the spring floor, arms extending and legs leaping in flawless synchronization that immediately captivated the judges and audience. The team of six spread across the mat and begun to tumble over each other in a beautiful series of flips, handsprings and somersaults, showcasing their accuracy and strength. The audience clapped with enthusiasm as they stood still in arabesque position to demonstrate their flexibility and balance in unison. Next, they glided across the floor in another intricate dance sequence and then came back together to toss Kei into the air. He looked impressive as he flipped and twisted midair. Somehow Kei always managed to make things look easy. He was the ace of the team. The most flexible, agile and just behind Akio when it came to expressiveness when he performed. The music picked up even more and another series of dramatic tumbling was executed. They gathered together again and Akio was the epitome of confidence as he lead the group through a final ballet style sequence. The audience was ghost quiet, admiring the beauty and perfection of the team of talented rookies. For their entire three minute routine they were perfect. Yuuta managed to pull himself together, Daichi, Hideo, and Jiki were just as stunning as they were during practice. Everyone in the room could feel them expressing their passion through the movement of their bodies. Not one foot was out of place or even a subtle movement to dock points. Finally the music ended and the crowd roared with applause. The boys took a moment to revel in the crowd’s response, breathlessly bowed in unison and made their way off spring floor to await their final scores.

Out of a possible 20 points based on difficulty and execution of the routine, the team was awarded a total of 19.70.

After receiving their scores, they exited into the hall and exploded with joy over their performance. Hirato was practically in tears as he hugged each member with brutal force.

“Nineteen point fucking seven!!” Jiki exclaimed, giving Hideo and then Daichi a double high five. He then hugged Yuuta, who couldn’t stop shaking with a blank expression on his face.

Akio was speechless. A steady stream of tears fell down his cheeks while he tried to process what had just happened. Kei grabbed his hand, pulled him into an embrace and let the blond sob into his chest.

“Little brother,” a voice said from behind Akio and Kei.

Akio batted away his tears and turned around to the sound of the familiar voice. “Sh-Shion,” he said.

“Great performance. Congratulations.”

“Thank you..." he sniffled,  "but I’m still mad at you for copying my hair color.”

Shion chuckled and ran a hand through his short blond hairstyle. “Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, little bro. My team is up next though, so I can’t stay and chat.” He waved and his team followed him down the hall and into the stadium.

“Should we go watch them?” Kei inquired, bringing a hand up to Akio's face to wipe his tears away.

“Yes.”

Akio and Kei announced they were going to watch the next group and the rest of the team decided they’d go for a quick water break before joining them.

The pair took another route to their teams assigned seats and when they arrived, they watched as Shion’s group took the stage. The crowd was quick to make noise for their home team.

“Could their costumes be a brighter shade of red?” Kei remarked when the music started.

Akio didn’t reply, he was too laser focused on his brother’s team. Knowing his brother wouldn’t accept anything other than perfection, Akio knew they were the team to beat.

They were accurate, strong and had beautiful lines. All of the things that the judges loved.

As confident as Akio always was, he couldn’t shake the doubt and dread he was starting to feel. In an attempt to calm his nerves, he grabbed Kei’s hand and held it tightly.

“They’re good, but I wouldn’t worry, Aki. And even if we do lo—”

“Stop,” Akio interrupted, his gaze never leaving the spring floor. His heart was in his throat. He couldn't breath.

“Sorry,” the raven smiled. To Kei, it was adorable how invested in winning Akio was. Not that he didn’t want to win, but as he looked down at the hand that was entwined in his own, all he could think about how much he wanted to hold this hand forever.

The music faded away and all that was left was to see their scores. It felt like forever before they appeared, but when the numbers flashed on screen, Akio gasped.

“Nineteen… point four,” Kei read slowly.

“Fuck yeah,” Akio whispered, finally able to take in a deep breath. “We won.”

 

~

 

 Akio was right. No other team could break eighteen points before the competition ended, and at the awards ceremony Hirato’s team stood center, bowing humbly after they received their first place medals and trophy. The crowd showed their support with deafening cheering and clapping. Shion's team came in second and in third there was another great team who had scored seventeen point nine points. Closing statements were made and the winning teams were eventually released back into the hall. There would be another intermission before men's solo gymnastics, which none of the boys from Takeyama University took part in. 

“We’re going out for ramen for dinner, right?” Yuuta asked as soon as the ceremony ended and the teams were exiting into the hall.

“Yes, piggy,” Jiki teased, poking the boy in the gut. “We’re gonna get some food.”

“The bus leaves in thirty minutes boys, so go see your families, grab your things and head to the bus.”

“Yes, coach.”

The team broke up to go find their families and friends. Kei had no one there for him so he quickly said hello to Akio’s parents and then headed for the change rooms. Left and right people complimented and congratulated him as he walked down the halls sporting his pretty gold medallion. He smiled politely and even stopped for a few selfies with new fans. The process was very slow, but he eventually arrived and was able to get changed in peace. Before exiting the school, Kei found a vending machine on his way out. He purchased a sports drink and drank from it greedily until it was finished and then discarded. As he opened the doors to exit the school, it was like reality hit him once he passed the threshold. Soon Akio would know how he truly felt. It terrified him and excited him at the same time." 

With fifteen minutes left before the bus took off, Kei was the first to get on board. He didn’t mind the time alone since it would give him time to think about what he would say to Akio once they were back at the dorms.  _Akio, I’m in love with you._  The thought had his breathing going shallow, his heart racing, and his brain going foggy. One by one, his teammates began to pile onto the bus, and when Akio arrived and sat down next to Kei, he thought he was going to die.

“You’re quiet,” Akio mentioned to Kei while trying to get into his line of sight. “You’re not upset that your dad didn’t show up right?”

“No,” Kei replied, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “He’s never come to a competition… I’m used to it.”

“Then what’s up?”

Kei took in a deep breath before saying, “I just need to talk to you when we get back.”

“Of course.”

The drive back was filled with lively chatter from everyone besides Kei. Even Yuuta was participating in the conversations about their victory and excitement for the future.

“So what time are we heading to the restaurant?” Hideo asked as everyone stood up to get off the bus.

“Does six work for everyone?” Akio added.

The team agreed that they’d meet at the ramen restaurant at six and then went their separate ways.

Akio and Kei went to their dorm room and once inside, Kei impulsively grabbed Akio’s hand and lead him to the center of the room. “There’s something I really want to tell you,” Kei said, warmth starting to travel to his face. He couldn't stop the shaking that he was overcome with so he took in a few shallow breaths in an attempt to calm himself down. 

“So… let’s talk,” Akio replied, a little confused as to why Kei was suddenly a shaking mess.

Kei nodded and swallowed hard before speaking. “Aki, you’ve... you've meant more to me my entire life than anyone else." He swallowed again, searching his brain for what to say next. He let out a nervous laugh before saying, "As you know, I’ve never been very good at expressing how I feel in words. So I’ll just say it simply. I’m in love with you, Akio." Kei paused for a moment to search Akio's eyes for a reaction, but there was nothing. Akio's expression was eerily blank so Kei went on. "Even now my heart is racing just being here in front of you. I hope that you’ll accept how I feel and that maybe you feel similarly about me. You—"

He had heard enough. Akio raised a hand to cut Kei short. "I really want to just laugh in your face, Kei. But because you're my best friend and I treasure you no matter what, I'll give you the satisfaction of understanding why I could never date you. As a boyfriend you'd be... boring. Dry as dust. You're also a virgin. While I admit taking a v-card could be exciting, the idea of having sex with you seems disgusting and weird. You don't know how to use your cock and it would just be borderline incestuous."

Kei parted his mouth to speak, but no words could form. He knew that if he tried to talk his emotions would overwhelm him and he'd start to cry. That was the last thing he wanted to do in front of Akio. So he remained quiet, silently trying to hold his composure.

Akio shook his head. "Even the way you're standing there with that shocked expression is boring. I'm leaving."

"A-Aki," Kei managed to say before the blond could leave the room.

"Yes?"

"Where a-are you going?" Kei stuttered, desperately in need of comfort.

"I'm going to Daichi and Hideo's room. I don't want to stay here with you right now. It'll just be awkward. I'll see you at the restaurant later."

Kei was falling apart but managed to fake a smile and choke out a quiet, "Okay."

 

Akio opened the door but not without leaving Kei a final statement. "You're a great friend, Kei. Not dating material."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please let me know if you liked it by hitting up the comment section or leaving a kudo. I'd love to hear from you!!


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